Railway car door structure



March 25, 1941.

A. wAsBERG RAILWAY GAR DOOR STRUCTURE I2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filled Feb. 8;. 1937 VVT-nig l EVS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIA A. wAsB-ERG RAILWAY GAR Doon STRUCTURE vFiled Feb. 8', 1937 March 25, 1941.

llill Patented Mar. 25, 1941 PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY OAR DOO-R STRUCTURE Axel Wasberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application February 8, 1937, Serial vNo. 124,723 12 Claims. (Cl. 20-22') I'he invention relates to the construction oi sliding doors and associated structure such as is particularly adapted for use on railway cars.

One of the problems involved in railway house car construction is that of moving the sliding doors easily, and to meet this problem various anti-friction supports have been developed which are mounted on a track on the car body and move lengthwise of the track and relative to the door in such manner that an end portion of the door overhangs the nearest supporting element, and operation of the door closing mechanism may tend to tilt the front corner of the door downwardly. One of the objects of the present invention is to alord additional 'support of the door at the end of its sliding movement to avoid teetering from the door closing mechanism or otherwise.

Another serious problem is the passage of air from the outside of the car to the inside thereof around the bottom of the door. Such air streams tend to carry objectionable moisture, sparks, cinders, and other dirt to the interior of the car, and it is an object of the present invention to construct a door track and adjacent structure so as to reduce to a minimum the likelihood of such air streams.

Another object of the invention is to insure that when the door is in closed position its front edge will contact tightly with the abutting structure so as to prevent the passage of air past the front edge of the door to theinterior of the car. This object is accomplished by providing brackets on the outside of the car with latch members moving upwardly and downwardly therethrough and arranged to engagestop elements on the door track or car framing and to automatically take up any longitudinal play of the door and the member which engages its front edge.

Another problem encountered in this type of car is involved in making the car as wide as possible, to increase the car capacita-and at the same time to avoid any parts projecting beyond the clearance limits Which are determined by bridges, tunnels, and similar right-of-way structures and are' definitely fixed and must be observed by the builder of rolling stock. Accordingly, another object of the invention is to restrict the dimensions, transversely of the car, required for carriages, bearings and holding devices such as referred to above.

Frequently it is desired to remove a door from the car for replacement or repair and with many constructions this necessitates the removal of the door track and other structure. 'I'his is particul not be slid endwise of the track beyond the doo-r lor threshold plate is shown at 2.` The door track larly true 1n automobile type cars due to the fact that the auxiliary door carries ari'auxiliary post extending inwardly at its front edge which canopening as' is possible with an ordinary single f door which usually may be removed by taking down the backstop. Another objectl of the present invention is to facilitate removal of the door without unnecessary work relative to other parts.

These and other detailed objects which will be apparent from the following description are attained in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a side view ofa main door and an auxiliary door of the automobile type of car, the car sill, door track and associated xtures andthe top retainer being shown also.

Figure la illustrates a detail of a door supporting assembly lying behind 'adjacent structure iuustrated in Figure 1. f"

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse detail section ldrawn on an'enlarged scale and taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are detail sections extending vertically and transversely of the doors and taken upon the corresponding section lines of Figure 5.

Figure 5v is a detail section extending vertically and longitudinally of the adjacent lower corners 'in itself a part of the present invention. In the 'construction' illustratedga portion of the car side sill is indicated at I and the car floor comprises aright hand section 3, beneath the 40 vmain door 4, and a left hand section 5 beneath the auxiliarydoor' 6. The vdownturned vi'lange 2a on the outer edge of the threshold plateforms an abutment for the inner face of each door and this flange terminates just above door tracks 3-5 45 `forming with the latter and the sill a substantially closed space for trapping air currents tending to enter the car, although the gaps between the threshold flange and the tracks and the sill permit dirt and moisture to drain from behind the door. Track sections 3 and 5 are carried for the most part by supports 1 Welded or otherwise secured to side sill. I, but a casting 8 attached to the side sill near the middle of the door opening has flanges 9 supporting the adjacent ends 55 of tracks 3 and 5 and also provides an upwardly facing track surface I0 and an inwardly facing guiding surface Il which functions as will be described later.

Main door 4 comprises a series of sheet panels I2, top and bottom edgings or frame members I3 and I4, respectively, and front and rear edgings or frame members I5 and I6, respectively. Edgings I3, I4, I5 and I6 are shown as Z bars, the front and top edgings being connected by gusset plates I'l, there being a corresponding gusset I8 at the lower rear corner of the door. The lower front corner of the door includes a gusset casting I9 shown in detail in Figure 7.

Auxiliary door 6 is similarly constructed and includes a bottom edge Z bar 29, a front edge Z bar 2I and a lower front corner gusset casting 22. The door has the usual auxiliary door postv P comprising a metal member of U shaped cross section.

During the major portion of the movement of the main door from open to' closed position and vice versa, bottom edging I4 rests directly upon ball bearings 23 held in spaced relation by a bar 24 which, with balls 23, form a door supporting carriage riding on track 3. A supplemental ball 25 is carried in a housing 26 provided by corner casting I9 and when the door is moved to extreme closed position, ball 25 rides up the elevation IU on casting 3, affording a support for the door immediately below the front edging I5 and immediately adjacent the abutting weatherstrip element 21 on the front edging 2| of the auxiliary door. This arrangement avoids possibility of the door tilting due to the overhanging of its front edge beyond the end of carriage 23-24. ASuch tilting is particularly likely to occur when the closing and starting mechanism M is operated to force the door into tightly closed position or to force its initial opening movement. When the door is opened, the rearV wall 28 of housing 26 forms a stop engaging the opposing end of bar 24, limiting the movement of the door relative to the carriage.

When the door is closed and ball 25 rides up elevation I0 as described, guiding element II on bracket 8 engages the front wall of housing 26 to thrust the door inwardly towards the side of the car, tending to close the gap G (Figures 3 and 4) between the door and the downturned flange on the threshold plate.

Gusset casting I9 includes elements 29, 30, 3l and 32 (Figure 6) extending respectively outwardly from Z-bar I5 and then rearwardly of the door and then inwardly towards the door and then rearwardly of the door bottom edging I4 to which it is riveted at 33. This portion of casting I9 forms a bracket structure which cooperates with the downturned outer flange of edging i4 to form a rectangular opening 34 (Figure 6) adapted to slidably receive the lower portion of a lift handle 35 (Figure 1), the upper end of which is slidably received in a bracket 3B positioned above the bracket elements 29, 39, 3l. The lower end 3'! of handle 35 has a vertical rear face disposed to abut a corresponding vertically disposed face 38 formed on a stop 39 secured to track section 3. The inclination of the forward wall of pocket 34 and the corresponding pocket 36 tends to move handle 35 to the right as the car is jolted and this arrangement tends to hold door 4 in closed position with its forward edge abuttng against the element 21 of the auxiliary door The lift handle 35 is constructed and functions in accordance with the disclosure in E. G. Busse Patent No. 2,167,707 issued August 1, 1939.

It is necessary to retain the door on the track when it is moved out of engagement with element II on bracket 8 and for this purpose there is provided a two-part retainer device comprising a bracket 49 fixed to the door, including spaced lugs 4I, and a depending retaining arm 42, the upper part of which lits between lugs 4I and receives a rivet 43 disposed longitudinally of the door. The lower part of the arm forms an upwardly opening recess 44 receiving the depending flange on the track 5. Bracket 40 will be applied to the door by the door manufacturer. After the door is in place on the car, the car builder will apply the retaining arm 42, moving it upwardly to receive the track flange and then secure arm 42 and bracket 40 together with rivet 43. 'Ihe vertical spacing of rivet 43 and recess 44 prevents the door from being moved olf the track. If at any time it is desired to remove the door, the two retainer rivets may be cut and the door swung laterally and downwardly for disassembly. This avoids the usual practice of removing the track or top retainer structure. While with an ordinary door the same can be moved off the track endwise by detaching the backstops afiixed to the side of the car, such removal is not practical with an auxiliary door having an inwardly projecting auxiliary post which would strike the main door post as the door is opened. The present arrangement avoids the necessity of having a space between the track and the sill for a retaining element on the side of the track opposite the stop 39 as has been customary heretofore in cars utilizing the stop and wedging bracket handle structure illustrated.

By placing stop 39 near the forward end of the track section and by placing the cooperating handle 35 near the front edge of the door and locating the retainer 45--42 rearwardly of the door handle 35, it is unnecessary for the retainer to slide over the stop and hence the retainer does not need to be located outwardly from the plane of the door beyond door stop 39 and bracket elements 29-30--3L This makes it possible to avoid decreasing the inside width of the car to accommodate door retainers and latches and stops of the type illustrated and, at the same time, stay within established clearance limits. This is an arrangement which is believed to be novel and to have novel results although the particular handle, latch and door retainer structures have been used separately, the latch as indicated above in connection with Busse Patent No. 2,167,707, and the retainer as indicated in applicants copending Patent No. 2,114,754 issued April 19,1938. When the main door is opened, a pawl 43 pivoted to the main door rear gusset I8 will ride over and engage a catch 44 mounted on the extreme right hand end of track 3 to hold the door in open position until the pawl is manually dislodged.

The details of the construction may be varied substantially and some of the features may be eliminated independently of other features and the exclusive use of such modifications of the described structure as come within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

I claim:

l. In a railway car, a sill and floor structure, a door track substantially contacting said structure and projecting outwardly therefrom, a door movable normally along said track, a pair of retainers secured to said door adjacent to its forward and rear edges respectively and holding said door against movement from said structure,r and overlying the outermost element of fsaid, track and extending downwardly and upwardly to oppose the inner face of said track and movable lengthwise of the'latter Withjvs'aid door, a latch movable upwardly anddownw'ardly on said door and` overlying the outermosty element of said track, a latch engaging stop on said track, in the same general vertical longitudinal plane as said retainers and latch, said stop` and'latch'holdinfg said door against opening movement and being located nearer the front edge of said door, when the door is closed, than the adjacent retainer.`

2. In a railway car, a sill and floor structure, a door track including a horizontal ange, with its inner edge substantially in contact with said structure, and a depending ilange at the outer edge of said horizontal flange, a door resting on said horizontal ange and movable therealong, -a retainer secured to said door and extending downwardly therefrom outwardly of said track and slidably embracing said depending flange to retain said door upon the track, a latch movable upwardly and downwardly on said door, and a latch engaging element projecting outwardly from said depending flange at a point on the lat`- ter between said retainer and the forward edge of said door when the latter is in closed position, said retainer, track flange, latch and element holding said door in position to close the door opening."

3. In a railway car, a door having a panel sheet and front and bottom frame members, a track beneath.` said door, an anti-friction carriage mounted on said track and supporting said door and movable longitudinally of the track relative to said door, and a corner connection for said frame members forming a bracket, a door holding latch movable therein and outwardly of said bottom frame member, said connection also forming 'a pocket adjacent said bracket for receiving the end of said carriage to retain the same against movement transversely of said track.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3 in which said corner connection also includes a downwardly facing pocket for receiving an anti-friction element to support the door independently of said carriage and at the side of said latch opposite to said carriage.

5. In a railway car, a side sill, a oor thereon, a sliding door, a door supporting track mounted on said sill and including a horizontal member below the level of said floor and forming a substantially closed joint with the outer face of said sill, elements secured to said door and engaging said track at points spaced from said sill and floor to retain said door against outward movement relative to said track, an upwardly and downwardly moving latch member on the outer face v'of said door ,and a stop on said track for engaging said latch, said latch member and stop coooperating to hold said door in closed position.

6. In a railway car, a wall having a door opening, a door track adjacent said opening and below the level thereof, a door movable along said track and including a bottom frame member, irnmediately over said track, and a front frame member, there being a corner bracket for connecting Iand reinforcing said frame members, a retainer on said door and extending over the outer face of said track and -then upwardly and inwardly of an element of said track to maintain the assembly of said door and said track, a latch on said door slidable past said track between said retainer member and said front frame member, a stop on said track for engagement by said latch, and an anti-friction element supporting the door on said track and housed in said connection immediately under'said front frame member.

7. A structure as described in claim' 6 in which the corner bracket cooperates withthevdoor bottom frame member to form a guide for the latch.

8. In a railway car, body sill and floor structure, a door track in substantial contact with said structure and extending outwardly therefrom, a door mounted on said track to slide longitudinally of the car, a member opposed by the front edge of ther door when the door is in closed position, and meansfor holding said door against movement away from said structure and said member, said means including a retainer secured to said door and movable therewith and extending downwardly over the outer face of said track and then inwardly and upwardly to engage the inner side of said track to prevent movement of said door away from the car body, said means also including a latch movable upwardly and downwardly on said door and overlying the outer face of said track, and a latch engaging stop on said track, said retainer, latch and stop being positioned in the same general vertical longitudinal plane and at substantially the same level, said stop and retainer being located relative to each other to accommodate complete opening and closing movement of the door without moving the retainer, latch or stop out of said plane or level.

9. In a railway car, body sill and floor structure, a door, a horizontal track therefor with its inner edge substantially in contact with said structure, a door retainer cooperating with elements of said track facing outwardly and downwardly of the car to hold the door against movement from said structure, a stop at the outer edge of said track and a latch on said door cooperating with said stop to holdsaid door against movement along said track, said retainer, latch and stop being disposed in the same general vertical longitudinal plane and said stop and retainer being at the same level and said latch being in said plane but movable vertically towards and from said level and being located nearer the edge of the door than said retainer and, when raised, movable over said stop to accommodate opening movement of the door.

10. In a railway car, a floor, a side wall having a door opening, a door track adjacent to and below the level of said floor, there being a threshold plate extending outwardly from said wall beyond the vertical plane of the inner edge of said track and above the level of said track, a sliding door carried on said track and normally opposing the outer edge of said threshold plate, there being a depending element at the outer edge of said track, a retainer on said door extending over the outer edge of said track and then inwardly and upwardly of said depending element to hold said door against movement away from said wall, a stop on the outer face of said track, a latch on said door movable downwardly over the outer face of said track to oppose said stop and movable upwardly above the level of said track and stop to clear the latter, said stop being positioned longitudinally of said track outside of an area traversed by said retainer during the opening and closing movement of said door.

11. In a railway car, a door having a panel sheet and front and bottom frame members, a track beneath said door, an anti-friction carriage Cil mounted on said track and supporting said door and movable longitudinally of the track relative to said door, and a corner connection for said frame members forming a bracket, a door holding latch movable .therein and outwardly of said bottom frame member, said connection also forming a pocket adjacent said bracket for receiving an anti-friction element to support the door adjacent to its corner and at the side of said latch opposite to said carriage.

12. Ina railway house car, a iioor structure, there being a door opening above said structure, a doorsupporting track extending adjacent to the bottom of said opening substantially throughout the length of said opening, there being a main sliding door and an auxiliary 'sliding door mountved on said track and cooperating to close said opening, retainers on said doors extending downwardly therefrom outwardly of said track and then upwardly behind a portion of the same to hold said doors against movement outwardly from said oor, stops on said track, and cooperating elements on said doors movable downwardly below said oor level to engage said stops to hold saiddoors in closed position, said retainers, stops and elements being in the same general longitudinal plane and being So located relative to each other and to the level of the top of the floor that the top of said oor is unobstructed throughout the width of said opening when said doors are opened.

AXEL WASBERG. 

